The Happy Cycle 😄🔁
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." ~ Psalm 95:1-2
Have you ever heard someone say that their heart was full?
How about that that their heart was overflowing?
It sounds funny, but at the same time rings undeniably accurate in describing some emotions that we find ourselves experiencing sometimes.
The concept of the heart being a vessel or some kind of container is definitely one that is backed up by scripture and something that we see echoed throughout the Bible.
One of the things that we learn as we grow in wisdom, is the benefit of filling our hearts with good things. We get to know and understand the deleterious effects that can result from harbouring bad things in our hearts... which by the way include anxiety and fear.
Sometimes this can be such a struggle for us, especially when it feels like we're just being bombarded with wave after wave after wave of stressful situations. We want to just throw our hands up in the air and all hope through the window and give up.
It's in moments like these, that it serves us best to remember that no matter how gloomy the outlook of any situation, joy is but an outreach away.
Much like a match can be the source that ignites the pilot light, that serves an entire 450-degree oven, Jesus can be the source of joy that sets our hearts alight... and out of the happiness that He brings, a yield of gratitude is produced... and nurturing that heart of thanksgiving brings us jubilation... and from that jubilation, we have thankfulness, which evokes from us much glee.... and... well you get the idea.
Our responsibility then, when our hearts run dry, feels cold, or start to struggle is to reach out to Christ and get re-ignited.
We need only then to fan the flame of joy with the wind of gratitude and so nurture the conditions we need to stay centred in The Happy Cycle.